Ecological interface design for petrochemical processing applications

grantor: University of TorontoEach year, petrochemical companies in the US lose over $10B (US) to abnormal situations. These situations force human operators to manage complex processes when advanced automation can no longer maintain control. The goal of this thesis is to assess the feasibility of applying an interface design framework, Ecological Interface Design, to petrochemical processes. In keeping with this framework, an analysis of the physical and functional constraints which govern a simulated petrochemical plant has been conducted. This analysis has been employed in two ways. First, a comparative evaluation of the information content of the constraints analysis, the plant simulation, and information available in existing plants of this type has been conducted. Second, an ecological interface has been designed for the simulated plant. Taken together, the analysis, evaluation, and design steps affirm that Ecological Interface Design can be meaningfully applied to petrochemical processing.M.A.Sc